Pylon tow equipment for &#34;dart&#34; target



June 27, 1961 A. F. KERMODE PYLON Tow EQUIPMENT FOR "DART" TARGET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 3, 1960 INVENTOR. ALFRED F. KERMODE 14/... WW1. a ATTORNEYS June 27, 1961 A. F. KERMODE 2,990,164

PYLON TOW EQUIPMENT FOR "DART" TARGET Filed Feb. 3, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALFRED F. KERMODE BY a ,afimvi i linl ATTORNEYS 2,990,164 PYLON TOW EQUIPMENT FOR DART TARGET Alfred F. Kerm'ode, Lancaster, Calif, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force Filed Feb. 3, 1960, Ser. No. 6,578 2 Claims. (Cl. 258-12) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the United States Government for governmental purposes without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to an improved device for picking up and towing an aerial target at high speeds for gunnery practice.

The standard method of picking up a target for towing at high speeds for aerial target practice is to attach the target to a cable which has a loop supported on upright poles or pylons. After the towing plane has attained sufficient air speed it makes a pass at the loop which is caught on a releasable hook attached to the end of a tow bar fastened to the under surface of the fuselage. Since the plane is flying at relatively high speed When the hook engages the target loop there is considerable force exerted on the hook, the tow bar and the associated control mechanism.

The presently available equipment for picking up and towing targets is subject to damage to the linkage connecting the tow bar to the activating motor through the linkage to the activating mechanism when this sudden force is applied. Furthermore, the presently used mechanism is complicated and expensive, needs frequent repair and requires modification to the fuselage of the towing plane for attachment.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved means for picking up and towing a high speed target for aerial gunnery practice.

It is a further object to provide such a device which is simple, effective and economical to manufacture and requires little maintenance.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a device which can be attached to a high speed plane with a minimum of modification to the aircraft while allowing for maximum aircraft performance.

It is a specific object of this invention to provide a device which incorporates in a novel linkage mechanism one or more coil springs to take up the shock when the tow line of the target is contacted.

The above and still other objects, advantages and features of my invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view, partly in section, showing the mechanism holding the tow bar in the retracted position;

FIGURE 2 is a schematic view, partly in section, showing the mechanism holding the tow bar in the extended position; and

FIGURE 3 is a schematic view showing the mechanism holding the tow bar in the towing position, the releasable hook and the shock absorbing springs compressed by the pull of the target.

In the figures, represents an actuator arm which is driven by a conventional, standard motor and actuator mechanism 12. The actuator arm 10 is pivoted at P to a support bracket 14 which is attached to a mounting frame 30. When power is applied to the motor the actuating arm 10 is driven to the right. The arm 10 drives 2,990,164 Patented June 27, 1961 a link 16 to a downward position by causing it to pivot around pivot point P Carried with link 16 is link 18 which pivots at pivot points P and P This action, which is best seen in FIG. 2, carries pivot point P to its right hand position in a guide slot 32 which is cut in the mounting frame 30. Thus, linkage 18 is forced down by linkage -16 to lie in a straight line in guide slot 32 so that any force applied to linkage 18 is transmitted through linkage 16 directly to frame 30. This is important since it relieves actuator arm 10 and the actuator mechanism 12 from any strain which might damage it.

As the pivot point P on linkage 18 moves to the right, it carries spring assembly 33 to the right and transmits a force at pivot point P causing the tow bar arm 36 to pivot around pivot point'P on support 30. This moves the tow bar 33 to its downward position so that a standard hook 49 can engage a loop in the tow cable which is attached to the target (not shown).

As can be seen in FIG. 3, when the hook 40 has engaged the target, the pull of the target tends to force the tow bar 38 in a position parallel to the frame 30 and to the bottom of the plane. Since link 20 of spring assembly 33 is pivoted at P to the tow bar arm 36, and the tow bar arm is pivoted to the frame 30 at P this force carries link 20 to the left, thus compressing springs 34 of the spring assembly 33. It is this compression of springs 34 which absorbs the shock of the initial contact by the hook 46 with the target loop and permits the tow bar to remain parallel to the axis of the plane, permitting maximum performance of the towing aircraft with minimum stress on the towing equipment. The hook 40 and the release mechanism 44 actuated by a solenoid 42 is standard equipment.

It is contemplated that the above-described assembly will be mounted on the center line beneath the aircraft at the center of gravity thereof, thereby reducing the possibility of structural damage to the aircraft.

While this invention has been described as particularly suitable for picking up and towing at high speed a target for aerial gunnery practice, it is clear that it is suitable for picking up and towing any object capable of being towed by an airplane. It is easily attached to a plane without modification, can be so attached that in case of emergency the whole apparatus can be jettisoned, and uses standard parts, electrical circuits and switches readily obtainable at any Air Force base.

What I claim is:

1. In a device for picking up and towing a load, an airplane, a tow bar pivoted to the underside of said airplane, a releasable hook attached to the free end of said tow bar, means to raise and lower said tow bar, said means comprising an actuator arm, a motor to drive said arm, a first link having three pivots, one of said pivots being pivoted to said arm, a second pivot of said first link being pivoted to a frame attached to said airplane, the third pivot of said first link being pivoted to a second link, the said second link having a second pivot pivoted to a third link and arranged to slide in a guide slot in the frame attached to said airplane, said third link having a second pivot pivoted to an arm on said tow bar, and a pivot in said arm attached to said frame so that when said first link is forced down it carries said second link to a position parallel to said frame forcing said third link to pull said tow bar to a down position to enable said hook to engage a loop.

2. In a device as described in claim 1 wherein said third link comprises at least one pair of telescoping elements, shock absorbing means interposed between said elements, said shock absorbing means comprising at least one coiled spring housed within the outer element of said pair of telecoping elements and actuated by the inner element of said third link such that when said hook is engaged with said load, the pull of the load pulls the said tow bar to a position approximately parallel to said frame and compresses said spring to absorb the shock of contact with the load.

Anderson Dec. 5, 1944 Cotton Mar. 8, 1949 

